17 December 2015

A LIST OF (MOSTLY) CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Every household has it's own Christmas/New Year traditions. I always find it fascinating to hear what people do each year, so I thought it would be fun to list out a few things that I enjoy doing each year, along with some of the traditions we have had every year. Feel free to list some of yours in the comments too!

Things I look forward to at Christmas...

:: Getting up super early, sitting in the lounge under the magical light of the Christmas tree and watching cheesy Christmas movies. This semi-tradition started a couple of years ago, when I was super poorly with bad flu and couldn't sleep. Nowadays it's sort of a 'thing' to wake up at silly o'clock and go downstairs for tea and a Christmas film (followed shortly by a nap of course!).

:: Having a Christmas Eve buffet meal. This has become something that Joe and I do each year (if we are home obviously). This year we are heading to the gym first so can enjoy this treat even more. It doesn't really matter what night we do this on, as long as it is near the big day itself. We just enjoy treating ourselves to posh small food from M & S (or somewhere similar) and stuffing our faces. Last year we had mini beef-wellingtons. Who knew they could be made so small!

:: Spending lots of time on my hair and make up but still wearing PJ's most of the day. You can tell we don't have kids can't you?! I'm pretty sure if we did there would be no time for pampering on Christmas morning but it is just something I like to spend time on. This is mainly down to the fact that I will be feeling like an over-stuffed whale by 11am (blame the chocolate breakfast) - at the very least I will know that my make up is festive, even if I do have a onesie on :-)
:: Kids films and naps. Post Christmas dinner dozes are the best. All day long you look forward to that film you've all been wanting to see (and maybe even circled in the Radio Times!). As soon as it comes on Dad is snoring, mums head is flopped over to one side and we are sleeping on the sofa, dreaming of cold meat sandwiches...

In our house it is tradition to...

:: Open one present on Christmas Eve. We have done this since I was a child and it has stuck with me all these years.

:: Have lemon sorbet with vodka 'gravy' (my dads words!) in between the Christmas Day starter and main course. I am told it 'cleanses your palate ready for the main meal' (!)

:: Play games on Christmas Day. This is one we probably all share. It is always funny playing games with mum and dad. Dad inevitably reads the card wrong and starts acting out something for us to guess which is nothing to do with what he should be doing. Always a winner!

:: Have a take-away curry on New Years Day. This is another tradition that started with Joe and I. It marks the end of the rich food and the final meal we pig out on. I am all for this one, the curry place near us is phenomenal and we probably only get take out twice a year anyway so I'm really not going to feel guilty about it! Plus, it makes a change from all the left over turkey doesn't it?

Maybe these things are kind of normal (except for the vodka and lemon sorbet perhaps?). Let me know some of your traditions below!